"The Steadfast Tin Soldier" (Danish: "Den Standhaftige Tinsoldat") is a FairyTale by Danish poet and author Creator/HansChristianAndersen about the love a [[TheHero tin soldier]] holds for a paper ballerina. After several perilous adventures, the tin soldier and his love [[BittersweetEnding perish in a fire]]. The tale was first published in 1838.

Like "The Shepherdess and the Chimney Sweep" (1845), "The Steadfast Tin Soldier" displays Andersen's talent for investing ordinary household objects with life, character, and personality. Both tales narrate romances between household objects but differ in that the 1838 story ends with the lovers joined in death while the 1845 story ends with the lovers living (in fairy tale fashion) happily ever after. Andersen may have taken inspiration for the tale from memories of his few cherished childhood toys.

Though the title has been translated variously as "The Brave Tin Soldier" and "The Courageous Tin Soldier", the story is generally known in the English speaking world as "The Steadfast Tin Soldier". Interestingly, in some languages, such as French, he's not a "Tin" Soldier but a ''lead'' one. The tale has been adapted in various media including ballet and [[Disney/{{Fantasia}} animated film]].

You can read this [[http://www.andersen.sdu.dk/vaerk/hersholt/TheSteadfastTinSoldier_e.html here]].----!! "The Steadfast Tin Soldier" has examples of:* AdaptationalAlternateEnding: The Disney adaptation for ''Fantasia 2000'' changes the ending so that the Tin Soldier and the Ballerina live.* ArchEnemy: The "Black bogey" in the snuffbox.%%* BittersweetEnding* DiabolusExMachina: See KidsAreCruel below. * {{Disneyfication}}: The ''Disney/{{Fantasia 2000}}'' segment based on this story had an [[ScaryJackInTheBox antagonistic jack-in-the-box]] [[DeathByAdaptation burn]] in the place of [[SparedByTheAdaptation our hero and his squeeze]]. This change was only due to the SoundtrackDissonance that would have resulted if they kept the original ending, which did make it as far as the storyboarding stage and appears as one of the many bonus features in the ''Fantasia Legacy'' DVD box set.%%* FamilyUnfriendlyDeath%%* TheHero* HonourBeforeReason: The Tin Soldier can talk, but refuses to do so while in uniform. Which is always.* KidsAreCruel: One throws the soldier into a stove [[ForTheEvulz for no reason at all]].%%* LivingToys%%* NamelessNarrative%%* ScaryJackInTheBox* SparedByTheAdaptation: The [[spoiler: Tin Soldier]] survives at the end of George Balanchine's ballet. * TogetherInDeath: And all that remains of the lovers the morning after their demise is her sequin star (turned black in the fire) and a heart-shaped lump of tin. The ''Enchanted Musical Playhouse'' adaptation from TheEighties goes further with this, not only including a version of this detail but also showing the lovers' spirits emerging from the fire, waltzing with each other and drifting out of the playroom window.----